summers stomach!!

[sue dimond]

hello everyone can any one help! summer has a very sensitive stomach she gets full of wind ,and her toilet very loose so been to the vets they suggested chappie!! actually shes been loads better not smelling and toilet been good ,still full of wind in her stomach ,shes very slim and dosent putt weight on she goes to the toilet at least 6 times a day ,really want to find a biscuit, she was on james well beloved  does anyone have the same problem as summer?

[Philip Hall]

We did have this problem with Dudley in his early years, he's now 12. We used Chappie and a proprietary biscuit but after a while found he was forever going to the toilet and we decided that something was irritating his digestive track. We moved over to Burns Chicken and Rice (gluten free)with  2 soup spoons of natural yogurt per meal. Sucsess, stools normal, No wind and the wieght came on.  Burns Pork and Potato is even better for firming things up..........what a subject for 23.15 on a lovely evening. :-)

Dudley does have a very sensitive stomach and it's the wheat that causes the problems. If some kind person give him a sweet biscuit while they are having a cuppa, it takes a couple of days to rectify the end result.

It's strange but every Setter we have had, has had a problem with wheat to some degree

[Val Martin]

Have your tried her on the cereal free version of James Wellbeloved?

My Grace can't tolerate the high quanities of rice in the normal James Wellbeloved but she is perfectly well on the cereal free version which is what all my dogs are on at the moment.  I sometimes feed my dogs on Acana or Orijen they are cereal free as well.

Lamb based dog foods are more easily digested.

Buy some live probiotic natural yoghurt  from the supermarket and give her 2 -3 tablespoons every day mixed in with her food.  It's great for calming sensitive stomachs. 

I would keep her on Chappie for the time being as it is helping and add a very small quanitity of dried dog food to it so her stomach can get used to the change over.  If you go straight from tinned to kibble you might be back to square one.  

 

 

 

[eva ciechonska]

I agree Sue....if a dog has a gluten intolerance then feeding or weaning it off kibble or any food with (particularly) wheat gluten further affects and puts too much stress on the digestive system.  Far better to take it out of the feeding regime immediatly.  A dog who cannot tolerate gluten will never be able to do so and there is no benefit in trying to make it get used to it.

Kibble feeds like Arden Grange were specifically developed years ago with German Shepherds in mind who have particularly sensitive stomachs.  Since then other manufacturers have developed gluten free ranges you might want to investigate.  Orijen and Acana are expensive but there are alternatives.

I tend to feed my dogs on kibble I like the smell of (silly I know) and the rancid pong of James Wellbeloved Lamb and Rice makes me want to heave!!  Even the heady smell of tripe doesn't kill it for me!!!!!

[Garrech and Canagan]

I also agree with Sue about Gluten intolerance. I think it is more common than originally thought and it is well worth changing the diet to a gluten free product. Either way it won't hurt.

I don't agree with feeding kibble given either dry or moistened. We feed both our dogs on non gluten canned food with just a small amount of kibble added to supplement the diet. 

[Val Martin]

Sue H & Eva......Who says this dog has a gluten intolerance?

Not every dog who has a problem tummy is gluten intolerant for goodness sake!

Sue said her dog was previously being fed James Wellbeloved which is completely gluten free!!

I do realise that a dog going to the toilet 6 times a day is not normal. 

If Chappie is helping the dog at the moment then surely it is better to keep the dog on it until Sue finds out what the real issues are which is why I suggested adding some cereal free kibble to the Chappie and see what happens.

If you read my reply to Sue, you will see that I wrote that it could be the rice which is causing the problem. One of my dogs can't tolerate rice in her diet which again is why I suggested the completely cereal free version of James Wellbeloved or another cereal free food such as Acana or Orijen. 

[eva ciechonska]

Val, it has been suggested that Sue's bitch could be gluten intolerant.  Posts from all the other contributers have mentioned this.  You have yourself mentioned eliminating cereal from the diet.  We are all trying to be helpful to this lady.  Please don't turn it into another battle. 

Phil has suggested Pork and Potato.  Another good one would be Salmon and Potato.  I know of quite a few IS who have found this beneficial.  Again many manufacturers are including this type of formulation within their ranges.  Pinkerton's Challenge is a product worth trying.  They do a Salmon and Potato variety.  You can buy it on line.

I still agree with Sue.  Any dog with a sensitivity , whether it be to gluten or anything else will never be able to tolerate or get used to food stuffs that include it, even if introduced in small quantities.  Once the problem is diagnosed the only solution is a complete and immediate change in diet. 

[Val Martin]

You seem unable to read and absorb my reply Eva.....would you kindly remind me where in my replies did I mention introducing the dog to a food  that includes gluten or anything similar??

Battles can only begin when there are two interested parties!!

 

 

[Val Martin]

Sue said her dog was responding favourably to the chappie which is why I said perhaps it is the high quantity of rice in the James Wellbeloved that is causing the problem. 

Like I have said, the dog was originally on JW which is gluten free and yet the dog was still having problems.  This suggests that gluten is not the cause.

One of my own dogs can't tolerate rice in her diet.

[eva ciechonska]

You misunderstand Val........where did I say you did?  I said others had suggested Summer might be gluten sensitive.  I did say that you also advised eliminating cereal from the diet.......AND that any dog with a sensitivity, whether it be to gluten OR ANYTHING ELSE will never be able to tolerate or get used to foodstuffs that include it, even if introduced in small quantities.

A battle is always begun by one party.....I am NOT the other interested party!!

Let's just carry on trying to give Sue good advise.

Sue.....please tell us how you get on and what diet you ended up feeding to Summer.

Have you tried giving her charcoal biscuits.  Many have found this helpful with wind, and the probiotic yoghurt that both Phil and Val have suggested.

Julie,  have you tried Royal Canin Sensible range.  That is also supposed to be very good for sensitive stomachs?

 

[Val Martin]

So do tell me Eva....how is Sue going to find out what the ANYTHING ELSE is?

It is a process of elimination which is why I suggested keeping the dog on chappie (which the vet advised) for the time being and adding a small amount of rice free food to it, is to see if rice is the problem as it was with my own dog.

Sue was feeding her dog the original James Wellbeloved which although gluten free, contains high quanities of rice. 

I do not advocate feeding ANY DOG a diet which contains cereals as fillers.

 

 

 

[eva ciechonska]

Val, the most common reason for stomach sensitivity in many breeds, including IS is an intolerance to gluten in cereals.  This is why the majority of the postings have suggested this in the first instance.  Eliminating it instantly from the diet is very easy.  If it proves to be an intolerance to gluten then Summer's problems are immediatly solved.

Many dogs have an intolerance to rice and have been able to substitute potatos with great success.

The ANYTHING ELSE could be a bacteriological inbalance, ulceration of the stomach lining, pancreatitis worm infestation etc.  Let's hope it is only a gluten intolerance. 

[Val Martin]

Here we go again!!!

Have you actually read what Sue said?

She said the dog was not doing well on gluten free James Wellbeloved.  The dog has however been doing better on Chappie which contains cereals therefore it can't be the gluten which is causing the problem!!

I suggested giving the dog live probiotic yoghurt in case the dog has a bacterial imbalance.

Sue has had her dog at the Vets and he obviously does not think it's gluten intolerance either otherwise he would not have told her to feed the dog Chappie.

I have for the 4th or 5th time said in my replies...Sue should try feeding the dog a diet which does not contain cereals or rice but does contain a high percentage of meat.